Composite cabinet



May 28,1929. M L.IL.LMER I 1,714,909

COMPOSITE CABINET Filed May 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l W3 2 0e w h 6 A ooooocxoolwll INVENTOR Maw,

May 28, 1929.

LILLMER COMPOSITE CABINET Filed May 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented May 28, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS ILLMER, OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK- COMPOSITE CABINET.

Application filed May 26,

My invention'generically relates to a compara-tively light and improved style of storage compartment or closet structure adapted to many utilitarian purposes such as sectional cabinet units, wardrobes, cupboards, lockers,

or the like which, when desired, may also be the lowest factory handling costs and also shipping rates; at the same time said elements can readily be built up into a-sturdy unitary cabinet neat in finished appearance, and all without needing any special assembly tools or intricate installation directions.

The present cabinet is characterized by the use of a plurality of demountable slab-like component parts fashioned from comparatively thin sheet-metal wall closure elements, each individually adapted to sheath and partially conceal therebehind, a relatively light reenforcing skeleton frame, preferably made up from supplemental wood-like filler slats or strips adapted to impart augmental lateral stifiness to said single sheath, the intent being to shape up a cabinet out of what may herein be termed metal-lumber. The unitary filler elements of such composite side, top and bottom panels may readily be bolted or otherwise removably interconnected to constitute a rigid hollow open box-like structure serving to conveniently mount a metal back closure and also to hang thereon front doors of either wood or metaL.

As intimated, an important object of the present invention is to combine certain recognized advantages of the all-metal style of cabinet with those heretofore aflorded only by the more conventional all-wood cabinet. The adaption of the aforesaid metal-lumber panels into a box-like'structure provides for the maximum of closet. space at the minimum of fabrication cost and the respective encased filler strips thereof are herein utilized to hold together my composite panels without having-to resort to any welding whatsoever for metal sheath-sccurement purposes. The use of such separate filler reenforcing frames also facilitates the mounting of my closure members such as swinging or sliding doors, and these latter are preferably fabricated wholly 1928. Serial No. 280,735.

from wood since they otherwise prove more difficult to hang properly; when stamped wholly out of metal by die andpress means such doors would constitute a far larger portion of the total cost ofmanufacture. In addition, metallic doors do not prove sulficiently noiseless for the purposes herein contemplated and likely to feel unpleasantly cold to the touch of the user. 1

A further purpose is to obviate the need for high fabrication die charges and to largely restrict all my sheet metal forming operations to simple rectangular bending about flat filler frames which permits of more readily varying my sectional units through a wide range of styles and sizes without demanding a heavy die and other equipment investment.

This advantage is especially marked when my improved method of closet manufacture is applied to combination cabinets designed on the sectional unit system, such for instance as are now largely eing used in connection with modern kitchen cabinets which generally require the offering of a large variety of individual models to meet present-day'demands. Combination cabinets of this kind find an especially wide a plication when built into alcoved room wa ls'of apartment houses or the like, and in this field in particular, afford a perfectly sanitary, compact, and attractive utensil space admirably suited to the layout of any given confined floor space. My cabinet improvements are likewise applicable to bathroom or bedroom models, also cabinets intended for storage of linens or similar household supplies.

Other improved features of structure and organization will hereinafter be disclosed which further facilitate economical cabinet manufacture of the kind indicated. For a more detailed description of my invention,

reference is had to the accompanying two sheets of drawings which are illustrative of a concrete exemplification intended to set forth the paramount features of my invention; like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and in which drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a knock-down type of cabinet incorporating my improvements in which the shelf and swinging doors are dernounted.

, Fig. 2 is a partial perspective as seen along the section line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but provided with doors mounted.

Fig. 3 is transverse vertical section of my 35 of my cabinet may readily be equipt with one completely assembled cabinet including doors and shelving as taken along line 33 of Fig. 1 while Fig. 4 represents 'a similar view taken normal thereto along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows in section an enlarged lower corner portion of Fig. 4 to illustrate a preferred style of screw fastening detail.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the knocked down or unassembled side slabs of my cabinet with a lower sheath portion cut away to better show the underlying filler frame structure, while Fig. 7 represents a similar view of one of the top or bottom slabs of my cabinet.

Fig. 8 shows in perspective a detail of my improved shelf structure as pro- 'vided with filler strips.

, Fig. 9 is illustrative of the manner in which a plurality of difie rent styles of my cabinet may be employed to advantage as a sectional unit-in making up a combination kitchen cabinet or like closet compartment.

Referring more specifically to Figs. 1 and I 2 of said drawings, the letter'A refers in its entirely to either complementary side wall of my cabinet, which Fig. l shows assembled in parallelrelation; these spaced side walls may in turn be bridged by a set of similar or interchangeable topand bottom wall members designated as B. As shown in Fig. 2, this described box-like assembly may be provided with a separable back closure member C and also with one or more front doors such as B. When desired the interior or more shelves such as E.

.Taking up a more precise descr1pt1on of the structural characteristics of my slab or of the side slab frame, it is preferred to have now had to side wall elements, reference is Fig. 6. It will be seen that this comprises a metal finishing sheath A which may be kept relatively thin because of the use of a rectangular skeleton frame in the manner indicated, it being pointed out that a separate and distinct filler frame is utilized for each such side panel. Said sheath closely embraces theexterior of this frame and is made to cooperate therewith for "reenforcing purposes. Said hollow frame generally comprises a plurality of permanently interconnected strips such as the front upright A rear upright A and the complementary cross strips A each such strip being preferably cut and rough finished from compara: tively cheap wood-like or similar ingrained fibrous filler material. The flat strips of each such frame may be interconnectedly mounted and made endless in any suitable manner, for instance said top and bottom strips A may extend under and be directly secured to component the respective ends of the front upright A,-

means of nails A or the like. In the case the respective ends of the rear upright A,

bottom view fastened tov the top and bottom strips through so asto form a neatly trimmed sheath corncr structure for my demountable panels in the fashion indicated at A Here it will be observed, the respective inturned wing edges A, of the sheath are cut on the-bias and snugly held in abutment without need of welding because of being secured to the underlying filler members by means of countersunk brads or tacks A or the like. These tacks are so located as to become concealed with respect to the exterior panel faces when my cabinet is assembled. As will be understood, the lower front corner of said sheath A is constructed in a manner identical with that described for the upper corner. The

rear sheath wing need only be partially inturned over the upright A and is purposely kept slightly spaced from this particular filler as at A Said complementary braces A may be provided with slottedscrew holes to permit of taking up said clearance gap A for reasons that will appear presently. In addition, the inmost or exposed face in both of said upright strips .may be similarly equipt with a series of more or less evenly spaced and aligned holes such as A each adapted to receive the shank of conventional shelf rests E in the manner detailed in Fig. 5.

Attention will now be directed to my interchangeable top and bottom box panels such as B of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 7, each of these comprises a metal lumber slab substantially similar to the side members just described'except in the present instance, all four wing edges such as B, of the sheath B may be fully inturned and cut on the bias to likewise .in place by means of countersunk brads B or the like, and both inturned sheath edges adjacent to their abutting bias may again besecured to their respective filler blocks in the manner illustrated.

In the event it is desired to build up any composite slabs ofexceptionally large size 7 where its sheath is likely to become loose or otherwise prove insufliciently rigid as regards lateral give, this may be remedied by resort to one or more supplementary filler strips B as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7, to which the center region of the sheath B may be attached by any suitable means (not shown).

' As represented in the drawings, it is preferred to make the thickness of both horizontally disposed panels B-somewhat deeper 'than the thickness of the cooperating side panels A and have the latter overlap the end faces of the first named panels. In accordance with Fig. 6, the respective inturned wing edges of the sheath A need not wholly overlap the inmost edge of the correspondingly enlarged filler strip A andin order to obviate exposing any wood on part 'of the respective lower strips A after being .assembled into a cabinet, they may each be covered by a separately formed metal plate trim angle A of which one leg thereof is made to lie flush with the top face of the bottom sheath plate B as is cross-sectionally indicated in Fig. 4..

Assuming a set of each of the described panels A and'B to have been fabricated as described, these may now be built-up in the erected fashion indicated in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the two side members are pref-- erably made so as to be interchangeable and this likewise applies to the top and bottom panel slabs. In the latter slabs, their respective sheath sides may each be turned face uppermost so as to present a smooth finished metal surface for the bottom of the box interior and also for the top of the box exterior. These component wall members may now be fastened together in any suitable manner, but preferably by the use of flat headed tie bolts 9 such as shown in Fig. 5. Each of the rearwardly extending filler members in both the composite panels A and B respectively, may be apertured in the fashion indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 so that these holes will fall into alignment and allow of entering said bolts therethrough, whereupon the nut B together with a washer may be used to draw together said component wall panels into a de'mountable but substantially rigid open-box structure.

. Theonly portion of such bolts not concealed is the flat head thereof, and this is preferably countersunk into the surrounding sheath and made to lie flush therewith as shown.

Prior to the drawing up of said tie bolts, it is intended that the metal back plate C, be inserted. As may be seen from Fig. 2, the outwardly projecting complementary vertical edges of this cover plate are entered into the aforesaid clearance gaps A of the respective side walls, whereupon the various corner braces such as A,, may be drawn up so as to tightly clamp said back plate in place. As shown in Fig.- 3, the bottom edge of said plate C is preferably but not necessarily turned up into a forwardly projecting leg 0, and this may if desired, be attached to the bottom panel B by the use of screws C or the like as entered through slotted leg apertures. The uppermost horizontal edge of the back plate may be offset as at (l, with an upstanding lip 0,, adapted to extend underneath the rear fillerof the top panel B to form a reasonably 1 tight joint therewith, it being understood that the corner regions of said back plate are intended to be cut away to permit of forminga snuglyfitted rear closure for my cabinet. It is emphasized that the slip type of joint afforded by the described sheath gap A is such that the opposite side panels may be freely pulled apart and directed away from their respective overlapping rear plate margins after the various tie-bolts B are released.

Referring now to the manipulative closure means for the remaining open front of my cabinet, the vertically disposed front edges of the spaced side panels A may each be equipt with a set of fixedly located hinge butts such as D, to allow of mounting thereon a pair of complementary wooden doors D and D as represented in F ig, 2. Said fixed butt may be screwed through holes formed in the adjacent inturned sheath A and sunk into the front upright filler A thereof which serves as a backing means. This improved mode of hinge attachment greatly facilitates the hanging of said doors as compared to an all-metal cabinet since the latter ordinarily requires the riveting or welding of said butt to its adjoining wall sheath. The complementary movable butt member D of any such hinge is carried by doors of any suitable type but which latter swinging members are preferably fabricated wholly from wood rather than metal. The wooden doors are not only much lighter and cheaper to make but possess other outstanding advantages such as comparatively noiseless operation, also ease with which transparent panes can be substituted for an inserted panel such as D Said doors may be provided with the usual hardware including the latch D also top or bottom door catches D or the like.

It now remains to briefly describe a novel style of shelving that is especially suited to present purposes. Such a shelf is shown in Fig. 8 where the under side thereof is turned upside down for illustrative purposes. There is again provided a smooth faced metal sheath E having its edges inturned about the filler frame blocks E which latter are here set in oflset rectangular relation and secured by the corner braces E to provide for two rear corner gaps E designed to afford clearance entered into any aligned set of the rather reenforced sheet metal may be utilized in my F,

closet wall members. In combination therewith, there have been provided means for cheaply and securely hanging wooden doors which further serves to bring down the cost of fabrication and as a whole, allows of pro ducing a unitary cabinet possessing the advantages of the conventional all-metal cabinets but at relatively lower weights and costs which b the present invention, are made compara le with those prevailing in an allwood cabinetof equal grade. In my demountable cabinet structure, each panel is kept as a distinct entity except as they may be interconnected by the described fastening means, and the complementary jambs for my door or doors are embodied in portions of different filler frames rather than in one and the same door circumscribing frame.

The described mode of composite cabinet fabrication may be embodied in a large variety of styles and types of closets, and as an instance, Fig. 9 discloses the embodiment of a sectional kitchen cabinet in which two similar elongated end or broom closets F and F each provided with but a single door,

' are disposed to each side of a sink or ice box F while across the upper extremities of said broom closets there extends a utensil closet F; which is substantially identical with that already described. Said sectional cabinets are intended to be fastened together by suitable bolt-like means such as F 'and these are preferably disposed so as to tie together the respective cabinet filler blocks in the fashion similar to that detailed in Fig. 6 in order to constitute a unitary. sectional closet structure. As will have been made obvious, any one of such cabinets can readily be dismantled into its flat panel parts which are adapted to stack closely one upon another, whereupon they can be conveniently crated for shipment or storage purposes. Such compact crating is found tov be of considerable importance because the prevailing freight rates on knocked-down cabinets are materially lower than those that apply tocorresponding non-.demountable kitchen cabinets of the conventional type thatmust be shipped in erected condition.

Furthermore, owing to the smooth sheathing that is provided for the exterior of my cabinet walls, all such exposed metal surface may readily be given any desired color in japan finish by dipping and baking these knock-down parts individually prior to assemlply, or if preferred, the assembled cabithe knock-down individual panel, and

net may also be. sprayed as a unit. As an outstanding feature, the design of the individual parts of my cabinet .are purposely kept as simple as possible so that each may readily be fabricated by means of inexpensive equipment capable of being operated by comparatively low waged workmen and without requiring any unusually high degree of skill in thewood or metal crafts.

It is further emphasized that the described metal-lumberslabs in themselves each comprise a component unitary structure adapted to'be conveniently assembled as panels for various purposes and as such, find application in composite furniture generally other than style of cabinet herein cited as an example. In my improved panel embodiment/the filler strips are firstbuiltup into a unitary flat frame and the sheath margins bent therearound in asnugly embraced cooperative relation in such fashion that a high degree of lateral stiffness is imparted to each owing to the firm interconnecting means provided between my various panel frames, this bracing effect is made mutually cumulative when such separate panels are assembled and bolted into a box or other like structure. Cabinet side-sway and lack of rigidity is substantially eliminated as compared with a knock-down style of cabinet that is merely built up of single relatively thin metal walls alone without recourse to said reenforcing filler media in substantially all of the component panels. As a result, I attain sufiicient lateral rigidity on part of my single-sheathed side-wall members to respectively mount thereon complementary door hinges and still hold said doors in proper alignment; while being closed, neither of the abutting door edges sag unduly nor is the box structure allowed to become otherwise distorted as to interfere with the desired smooth door action. The

use of the described composite single sheathed.

panel further obviates the need for resorting to spaced inner and outer walls in order to provide for ample lateral rigidity on part of the metal sheath, and because my filler reenforcement is relatively light in comparison to the extra sheathing weight required, I am enabled to effect a considerable reduction in the cost of material and labor over chambered or double sheathed cabinciwalls.

It will be obvious that the val ious elements of my composite cabinet neeri not be formed in the precise fashion set forth, also that the same underlying principles are applicableflto sectional units provided with sliding drawers or thelike, nor need my cabinet necessarily be restricted to the knock-down type since said disclosed metal-lumber might readily be incorporated into a cabinet in which its composite panels or their equivalent are permanently united into a box-like closet stru'pture, and that various other changes in the details of my disclosure may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, heretofore described and more particularly-set forth in the appended claims.

laims:

1. A knock-down cabinet made up of adacent sections at least two of which respectlvely consist of a sheet-metal panel having certain marginal edges reenforced by a filler core means, and means passing through abutting cores to hold the adjacent sections together.

2.Y.A cabinet assembly comprising a plurality of separable composite wall slabs, each provided with an individual. non-metallic su plementary endless framework that is armoured by a single metallic sheath having certain of its marginal wing portions inturned upon and cooperatively fastened to said framework for sheath reenforcing purposes, and securing means interconnecting said several slabs into a unitary open boxlike formation.

3. A cabinet assembly of the knock-down type including two independently formed and separable composite wall members each comprising a unitary non-metallic reenforcing core frameindividually encased by a single metal sheath, and means for demountably holding said members in assembled erected relation.

4. A cabinet structure of hollow box-like shape having component walls made up of composite metal-lumber, each such wall including a substantially rectangular metal sheath interiorly reenforced by a wood-like endless core frame comprising complementary pairs of spaced filler strips respectively disposed inwardly of opposite'sheath-edges and which edges are inturned upon their respective filler strips, and means for demountably holding said walls in box-like relation,

5. In a cabinet provided with component walls fashioned from separable composite metal-lumber slabs assembled into an open box-like structure, geenforcing panel frame work for opposite side walls of said structure each comprisin pairs of wood filler strips disposed in su stantially rectangular relation, means for adjusting the spacing between one pair of complementary frame strips, a single metallic sheath adapted to cover the exterior of the frame work, said sheath having marginal edge portions inturned over certain of said filler strips, and securing means for holding said one pair of strips in adjusted relation.

6. A cabinet provided with component walls built up of composite metal-lumber panels assembled into an open box-like structure, in which one such wall comprlses 1n combination a'substantially rectangular reenforcing frame composed of wood-like filler strips exteriorly covered by a single metallic sheathing having adjoining edges thereof cut on the bias with their respective marginal wing portions inturned to embrace the mterior frame face and which sheath edges abut each other to form a corner structure, means for attaching the aforesaid inturned wings to an underlying frame strip and means intcrconnecting said component walls into boxlike formation.

7. In a cabinet having component walls built up of composite metal-lumber panels assembled into an open box-like structure, a reenforcing frame comprising pairs of wood-like filler strips for one such wall, said strips being disposed in substantially rectangular relation, a single metallic sheath adapted to cover the exterior face of said frame, said sheath having opposite edges respectively inturned over one pair of said strips .with the wing portion of one such sheath edge inturned over its adjacent filler strip and kept spaced therefrom to provide for a clearance gap, and a closure plate having a marginal edge entered into the clearance ga 8. A cabinet having component walls bui t up of composite metal-lumber panels assembled into an open box-like structure, of which opposite walls are each provided with an exteriorly sheathed rectangular and relatively fiat reenforcing frame comprising spaced complementary wood-like filler strips eachprovided with'a shelf rest hole, a shelf, and shelf support means including adjustable rest lugs respectively entered into said complementary strip holes.

9. In a cabinet of the knock-down type having component side and cross walls bullt up of composite metal-lumber panels ada ted to be assembled into an open box-1i e structure, a separate substantially rectangular reenforcing frame for the sidewalls each comprising wood-like filler strips of WhlCh the exterior face is covered by a single metallic sheath having the marginal win s thereof inturned upon certain of sai strips,

spaced en'd filler strips for one of the cross walls, said strips being exteriorly encased by a separate sheath and respectlvely ada ted to lie lengthwise of and in cooperative a acent relation to a filler strip associated w1th their respective adjoining side wall frames, and tie'bolt means serving to interlock one pan of, such adjacent filler strips.

10. A cabinet of the knock-down type having component walls built up of composite metal-lumber panels assembled into an open box-like structure of which the complementary oppositely disposed side members are each provided with a substantlally rectangular reenforcin frame comprising Wood-like filler strips, t e exterior frame face belng covered by a metallic sheath havln marglnal wings inturned upon the top an bottom frame strips and respectively provided with through tie-bolt apertures disposed in" a transverse relation to the plane of the side walls, in combination with a pair of complementary sheathed cross-wall members respectively bridging the upper and the lower end portions of said side walls, said bridging walls each being provided with spaced end filler strips encased by separate metallic sheaths and each such strip having a similar tie-bolt aperturedisposed longitudinally of the plane of the last named wall'and respectively aligned with the aforesaid transverse apertures, and tie-bolt means for each such set of aligned apertures serving to hold said assembled box-structure in erected position,

11. A cabinet of the knock-down type having component walls built up of composite metal-lumber panels assembled into aboxlike structure ofwhich complementary spaced side-wall panels are made interchangeable and each such side wall member is provided with a reenforcing frame exteriorly covered by a cooperating metallic sheath, in combination with a pair of. interchangeable cross-wall' panels respectively adapted to bridge the upper and lower portions of said side-wall panels with the latter disposed in overlapping relation to the respective ends of the,cross wall panels,- said cross walls each being provided-:with a metal sheath having inturned edges respectively serving toericase end filler strips, and means for interlocking said box structure in erected positions with the metal sheaths in both said cross-wall panels being turned face uppermost.

12. A sectional unit plurality of demountable cabinets of the knock-down type of which each such component cabinet is individually assembled and secured into an open box-like structure com- I prising oppositely disposed pairs of walls each consisting of a single substantially rectangular sheath element that is reenforced by wood-like fillerstrips, said several component box-like structures being assembled in abutting relation and having certain of their respective sheathed filler strips disposed to lie in adjacency, and means for interlocking said adjacent filler strips respectively associated with diflerent box structures to constitute a unitary combination cabinet.

13. A compartmental assembly having certain of the component walls thereof built up '-of composite metal-lumberpanels and wherein each such component wall member consists of a single substantially rectangular sheath reeinforced by wood-like strip means cooperatively disposed adjacent to certain of cabinet comprising a.

demountably securing together the respective pairs of abutting sheath edges forming thev corners of said structure by interconnecting walls built up of composite the respective pairs of contiguous strips thereof and which panels when demounted, permit of compactly placing said panels one upon-another to facilitate the shipping and storage thereof. a

15. A cabinet having its component. walls built up of composite metal-lumber panels [assembled into an open box-like structure in which oppositely disposed side-panels each comprise a relatively fiat frame of the skeleton type having wood-like filler strips disosed in a substantially rectangular relation with the width of one such strip made relatively wider than certain of the other frame strips, an exteriorly disposed metallic sheath for each of said frames, said sheath having adjoining marginal portions cut on the bias with the corresponding sheath wings respectively inturned to overlap the interior frame face, the wing disposition being such that an innermost portion of said wider strip face remains unsheathed, a pair of cross-wall panels serving'to span and holdin spaced relation the respective upper and lower end portions of said side-panels, and an angle trim plate adapted to fill in the remaining unsheathed face of one such wide strip.

16. A unitary panel for use in the construetion of furniture or similar objects, comprising a plurality of filler strips and a sheath spanning said strips with'the sheath marginal portions inturned upon and engaging the respective strips, one of said inturned sheath portions being kept spaced from its filler strip to form a gap therebetween adapted to receive the edge of a closure wall and form a joint therewith. I

In testimony whereof, I have herewith set my' hand this 23rd day of May, 1928.

LOUIS ILLMER. I 

